Talk about keeping the viewer hanging. We don't get to see the snowman until the final scenes. As I watch more and more Hammer films, I find there are many things that make them unique. In "The Abominable Snowman", there is a great deal of tension between Dr. Rollason (the awesome Peter Cushing) and Dr. Friend (Forrest Tucker). The battle between Rollason's quest for knowledge and Friend's fire for fame drives the whole film. The Yeti itself is entirely secondary until the final minutes. Once that time comes, the Yeti not only makes a memorable appearance, but surprises us with a greater purpose than just eating and sleeping. The Yeti is very different looking than the Bigfoot or Abominable Snowman we've become used to seeing in recent years.

Overall, this movie can be an exercise in patience at times. But there is enough conflict and a strong enough ending to make it worth paying attention to.